‘The Avengers’ Storms Back Into Theaters This Weekend

Joss Whedon’s critically-acclaimed superhero smash hit The Avengers is making a surprise return to theaters for the Labor Day weekend. Why? Money, of course.

The film is due out on DVD and Blu-ray in about a month, so this is the last chance for the film to milk every last dollar from the box office. So far, The Avengers has earned nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, making it this year’s top money-maker and the third highest-grossing films of all time (behind James Cameron’sAvatar and Titanic).

The version of The Avengers that will be playing in theaters this weekend is the exact same one that was in theaters earlier this summer, despite rumors that a “director’s cut” would be released.

The film is actually still playing in 123 theaters, months after its debut in may. It earned about $115,000 last weekend. That number is expected to rise to about $2 million, as it goes into wide release on about 1,700 screens.

Though $2 million more won’t be enough for The Avengers to surpass Titanic and take the No. 2 spot on the all-time list, it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Will you make the trip to a theater this weekend to see Captain America, Thor, The Hulk and all the others again (or for the first time)?